By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
OXFORD – Thursday morning was the first time the Spring Garden Lady Panthers had ever played a softball game at Oxford’s Signature Field. It was certainly a fitting place to cap a signature sports season.
After advancing through the losers bracket on day one of the Class 1A state softball tournament on Wednesday, Spring Garden blanked sixth-ranked Woodland 7-0 in its day two opener, propelling the Lady Panthers to the third-place game against fourth-ranked Kinston.
But Lady Bulldog junior pitcher Lauren Norris prevented Spring Garden’s bats from getting into a consistent rhythm, resulting in a 7-1 season-ending loss.
Even though the Lady Panthers fell short of earning a rare triple crown feat of state titles in volleyball, basketball, and softball, Spring Garden came a long way from just one practice after basketball season before softball began.
The Lady Panthers finished with a 22-13-2 record. Their season included a second straight area softball title, which was the 10th out of the last 11 years minus the COVID season of 2020. They also won the Class 1A East Regional title in Albertville last week, and rallied from an 18-5 loss in their state tournament opener against second-ranked Hackleburg to earn wins over No. 7 Maplesville and top-ranked Ider to make it to Signature Field on Thursday.
“Being up and down at the beginning of the season was to be expected because they were just coming off basketball. They didn’t have a lot of time to practice, but we always seem to come around at the end,” Spring Garden coach Ann Welsh said. “That’s when you want to be peaking. They had a goal to make it here and get farther than what we’ve been. I couldn’t be any more proud of them.”
In Thursday’s win over Woodland, Spring Garden broke open a scoreless game with a five-run top of the fourth inning. Avery Steward and Layla Ingram drove in a pair of runs apiece in the inning. Olivia Law doubled to left field to drive in a run to get the rally going.
Spring Garden tacked on single runs in the top of the fifth and sixth innings for the final.
Steward tossed a three-hitter to earn the win as the Lady Panthers advanced to face Kinston.
The Lady Bulldogs took early momentum by scoring a pair of runs in the top of the second. Spring Garden made it a 2-1 game in the bottom of the third. Law was hit by a pitch to lead things off and came around to score on a bunt single by Steward.
Kinston kept adding to its lead with single runs in the top of the fourth and fifth, two more in the sixth, and one in the seventh for the final.
“I felt like we played really good defense. We really didn’t make any mistakes. They were just able to put some hits together and we just couldn’t get any back-to-back and move people around,” Welsh said.
Word led the Lady Panthers at the plate by going 2-for-3. Steward suffered the loss in the final game of her high school career.
“I think that was just ‘I’m going to do it. This is the end. I’m making it,’” Welsh said of Steward’s determination to finish out the game in the circle. “She’s got a strong mindset. She knew that was what she wanted to do. She was going to finish.”
Steward was one of seven Lady Panther seniors whose athletic careers came to an end on Thursday. The other six were Maggie Jarrett, Helena and Layla Ingram, Law, Rylie Ham and Lilly McCain.
Just moments after their season ended, Welsh became emotional when asked about what all seven meant to the program.
“They’ve been playing since they were seventh graders behind the last big group of athletes we had come. They’ve been here (at state) nearly every year,” Welsh said. “They know what it takes to win and they don’t give up. I felt like they did their best.
“They all worked so hard. They’re always working. If we’re not playing on the weekends, they’re up there (at the field) hitting, throwing, just always trying to get better than what they are. They’re never satisfied. If they take that kind of attitude in life, I know they’ll do great things.”
